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It’s a Mexican standoff of sorts here at La Mezcaleria on Commercial Drive.

On one side, Eric Lorenz, co-founder of the Vancouver International Tequila Festival, with a shot glass of T1 añejo tequila. On the other, Zaloren G. Fontes, a mezcal sommelier from Mexico, with a carved cup of El Jolgorio Tepeztate mezcal.

“Dixeebe!” they say before taking a sip. It’s Oaxacan for “cheers,” or as Fontes explains, “It means, ‘I wish you the best.’ It’s like cheers, but also thank you to the Earth.”

We are here to discuss the similarities and differences between Mexico’s two legendary spirits, tequila and mezcal, which will be the focus of the city’s first Agave Week (May 20 to 24) and second annual Vancouver International Tequila Expo (May 24).

Although these two spirits have much in common, there is a world of difference between them. Here’s a handy primer to the similarities and differences between the two:

1. Origin

Tequila and mezcal are produced in Mexico; in fact, 26 of Mexico’s 32 states produce some sort of agave-based spirit. Tequila is produced in Jalisco and four other states, while mezcal is mainly from Oaxaca, though seven other states produce it as well.

Interestingly, “mezcal” is actually the name given to all agave spirits in Mexico, while tequila is a specific type of mezcal named for the town of Tequila.

2. The agave

Both spirits are made from agave, a succulent related to the lily family.

Tequila is produced from a single species – the Blue Agave – which is commercially cultivated from shoots and clones, and can be harvested in as little as six years. By law, tequila need only contain 51 per cent agave distillate; if it is not made from 100 per cent Blue Agave, it is known as “mixto.”

Mezcal, on the other hand, can be made from more than 40 varieties of agave, known in Mexico as “maguey,” many of which grow only in the wild and can take more than 20 years to reach maturity. Most mezcal is made from a single species, which will be noted on the bottle. It is always 100 per cent agave distillate. And no, it does not contain any worms or mescaline.

3. Cooking method

Only the centre of the agave, the “piña,” is used. It is cooked, shredded and fermented before being distilled in pot stills. For tequila, the agave is typically steam-cooked, while mezcal’s agaves are roasted in wood-fired pit ovens, which is what gives it its intensely smoky flavour.

4. Dilution

Once it comes off the still, tequila is diluted with water to reach the legal standard, for instance, 40 per cent alcohol by volume in Canada. Mezcal, on the other hand, is hardly ever diluted with water, but with lower proof alcohol. “It’s diluted to the taste of the distiller,” Lorenz says.

5. Aging

Tequilas can be unaged (silver or blanco), reposado (“rested” in oak for two months to one year) or añejo (aged in oak for one to three years). Most brands will offer all three expressions of age; some will also offer extra añejo tequila (aged more than three years).

Mezcal, on the other hand, is very rarely aged in oak. As Fontes explains, “Where tequila is aged in the barrel, mezcals are aged in the earth.”

6. Taste

Tequila has a clean, grassy, herbaceous flavour, with notes of black or white pepper and hints of citrus, especially lime. Aged tequilas can develop caramel, spice, dried fruit and vanilla notes as well.

Mezcal is noted primarily for its smokiness, but will also have complex fruit, herbal, floral, spice and earthy characteristics. You may detect notes of charred pineapple, ginger, apricot, roasted red pepper, tar, diesel, butter, cheese or chocolate.

7. How you drink it

The traditional drinking vessel for mezcal is the “jicara,” the dried and intricately carved shell of a fruit called guaya. Tequila is typically drunk from shot glasses, but Riedel has also created a specific tequila glass to enhance its delicate aromas. Both spirits can be enjoyed straight, but are also versatile in cocktails.

“If you have a good tequila, it is a sipping drink, it’s not a shot. And a mezcal is definitely a sipping drink.” Fontes says. “But I think the best way of drinking them is with good company.”

We’ll drink to that. Dixeebe!

All about Agave Week

Celebrate the spirit of Mexico’s most storied succulent during Agave Week in Vancouver, May 20 to 14.

The main event will be the second annual Vancouver International Tequila Festival, Friday, May 24, 6 to 9 p.m. at the Vancouver Hyatt Regency Hotel. Taste dozens of tequilas, enjoy tequila-inspired cuisine and compete for prizes including a Mexican getaway. Tickets are $60 (plus service charges). For tickets or information, go to www.vancouvertequilaexpo.com.

The week’s other events include tequila-paired dinners, special cocktails and several seminars at Legacy Liquor Store, including sessions on tequila and mezcal basics, wild-harvested agaves, barrel-aged tequilas and the principles of tasting tequila. Prices for the seminars are $45 apiece. Visit www.legacyliquorstore.com for more info or to purchase tickets.

Recipe: Oaxacan Daisy

Mezcal adds a tantalizing whiff of smoke to a simple, well-balanced sour. Expect to find this drink on the cocktail list at La Mezcaleria soon. In the meantime, you can shake it up at home.

1 ½ oz. mezcal

1 oz. Cointreau

¾ oz. freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon peel. Serves 1.

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In Good Spirits: Tequila or mezcal? Take your best shot

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